Shattered Ties: K.A. Robinson

With a former supermodel mother and a rock-and-roll legend father, Emma Preston has the best of everything. Nothing is as perfect as it seems though. After her parents divorce, she’s forced to live with her mother in a private Santa Monica community. Ignoring their parental roles, her mother becomes more focused on climbing the social ladder while her father is off on tour.

Growing up in a trailer park with his mother, Jesse is used to people looking down on him. When his mother begs him to submit an application for a scholarship to one of Santa Monica’s top private schools, he never expects to actually get it. When he does, he is forced to attend school with a bunch of rich kids. He ignores their stares as they judge him for having tattoos and a less than impressive car. As long as he has his surfboard and the guys at the tattoo shop, he knows he can make it through.

When Jesse shows up on the first day of school, Emma can’t help but be intrigued. Her mother would never approve of Emma talking to someone so poor, but she doesn’t care because something about Jesse draws her to him.

Jesse tries to hate Emma, but he discovers that he can’t resist her. Forced to hide their relationship from Emma’s mother and everyone else around them, things start to fall apart. When Jesse’s friend, Ally, decides to interfere, things go from bad to worse.

Can they survive their first love? Or will they be left with nothing more than shattered ties?

Book 1 of a 2 book series.

**18+ for sexual situations, cursing, and adult content.***

Emma is the rich daughter of a socialite and a rock star. Jesse is the boy from the trailer park on scholarship. They shouldn't have anything in common. But something draws them together. Jesse has preconceived notions about Emma, but she proves him wrong. She is actually caring, sweet and non judgmental. Jesse is tough and not used to forming attachments. But they get under each other's skin. Life is not so simple and there are conflicts and complications.

I was trying my hardest to avoid her, but for some reason, she kept pulling me back in. I didn't belong in her world, but she didn't even seem to care about that. She was the one bright spot I'd found at my new school even if I didn't act like it.

I loved Jesse. He lived his whole life feeling unworthy, but he is trying to make something of himself. He is intelligent, talented, handsome, and truly a nice guy. He has a couple of longtime friends and a loving mom, but still does not trust or open up easily. He is thrust in an uncomfortable situation with people who do not want him there, but he holds his head high and made the best of it.

This boy looked like a fallen angel and a surfer boy all rolled into one, and I wanted to wrap myself around him.

Emma has not followed the path of her rich society loving mother. She does not care about social status or money. Although she is not ashamed to use her money to help others. She is a good person despite her mother's influence. She does not hold Jesse's social status or background against him. But she is under tremendous pressure to live the life her mother sees fit and socialize with the upper crust of society.

"Are you scared of me?"

"Truthfully? A little. I'm not scared of you, just of what I feel and do when I'm around you."

"I can work with that."

I really loved them together. They really brought out the best in each other and had such a good connection and support of one another. They had friendship, passion, and strong feelings despite their young age. They were truly an adorable couple. But they had to hide their feelings from some. People were against them. Society was against them. There was drama, angst, life complications, and misunderstandings. Some things were high school-ish, but then I had to remember that this is a book about juniors in High School.

Will they find a way to be together or will they be pushed apart?

This was a little bit West Side Story meets Romeo and Juliet. The rich girl meets poor boy and they find they have a connection despite the fact that their lives are so different. The characters were likable and well developed. Except for the antagonists that I did really, really dislike. She did a good job showing the differences in their two worlds and how neither of them really fit in with the other that well.

It was told in both Jesse's and Emma's points of view so we could tell how they really felt. It was a sweet, heartwarming, and heartbreaking story of first love. I knew it was going to be a two book series so I was mentally prepared, but I still got to the epilogue and realized how much these characters have burrowed into my heart and how much I want to know the rest of their story now.

Thanks to KA Robinson for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. Quotes are from ARC copy and subject to change in final draft.